In today's educational landscape, we, as designers of educational tools and trainers, observe daily the challenges you, teachers, face. Managing students' attention, maintaining a classroom climate conducive to learning, and supporting each child in their uniqueness are at the heart of your mission. The school day is a true marathon for young minds, a long-distance race where cognitive energy, just like physical energy, can be depleted. That is why the question of the school rhythm and the integration of smart breaks is no longer an option, but a necessity.
We have designed our tools, the COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE applications, as well as our specialized training, with this reality in mind. Our goal is to provide you with concrete and caring levers to transform time and energy management in the classroom, making breaks allies of learning rather than mere interruptions. This article aims to show you how, in practice, the integration of these moments of cognitive and physical breathing can positively reshape your classroom's daily life.
The structure of the school day is dense. The programs are rich, the skills to be acquired numerous, and time is not extensible. In this context, students' attention is the most precious and, paradoxically, the most volatile resource. We can no longer consider a child's brain as a container that is continuously filled with knowledge from morning to evening. It is rather a muscle that needs to alternate between phases of intense effort and phases of recovery to develop harmoniously.
Cognitive saturation, a silent enemy
You observe it every day: after about forty minutes of concentration on a complex task, signs of intellectual fatigue appear. The student starts looking out the window, fiddling with their pen, chatting with their neighbor. This is not bad will, but an alarm signal that their brain sends: the cognitive battery is low. Ignoring this signal and demanding the continuation of effort is like asking a runner to sprint at the end of a marathon. The result is often counterproductive, leading to lower quality memorization, frustration, and a sense of failure for the student.
The impact of digital technology and external stimuli
Adding to this is a context where children are increasingly exposed, outside of school, to rapid and fragmented stimuli via screens. This habit conditions their brains to seek immediate rewards and makes the effort of prolonged concentration, necessary for fundamental school learning, even more difficult. The classroom must therefore become a place where one also learns to channel attention, direct it, and recharge it. Managing rhythm is no longer just a question of organization, but a true pedagogical challenge.
The science behind the cognitive break: stopping to move forward better
The idea of the break is not new, but our understanding of how it works and its potential has greatly evolved. An effective break is not a dead time. It is a strategic moment that, if well conducted, allows for recharging attentional capacities and consolidating knowledge. We rely on neuroscience to affirm that a "good" break is an active and structured break.
The difference between a forced break and a chosen break
A forced break is the student who "disconnects" mentally while remaining seated in their place. Their mind wanders, but their body is constrained, and the transition back to the task is often difficult. A chosen and guided break, on the other hand, is an intentional interruption of the ongoing task to engage in another brief and different activity that will mobilize the brain differently. It is this change in mode of operation that is truly restorative.
Consolidating learning in "off" mode
Research in neuroscience shows us that the brain takes advantage of moments of relative "rest" to process and organize the information it has just received. It’s a bit like a librarian who takes advantage of a lull to put books on the right shelves. Without these moments of consolidation, information remains disorganized, difficult to access, and more likely to be forgotten. A short break after an intense lesson allows the brain to begin this sorting work, making learning much more durable.
The indispensable body-mind duo
We cannot separate the intellectual from the physical. An immobile body for long periods leads to a decrease in alertness. Movement, even simple, re-oxygenates the brain, stimulates the production of neurotransmitters related to concentration and well-being (such as dopamine and serotonin), and helps to release physical and mental tensions. Integrating the body into the break is therefore a powerful lever to reactivate the mind.
COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE: our proposal for a smart break
Based on these observations, we developed the COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE applications as a toolbox for teachers. Our ambition is to transform the break into a fully-fledged pedagogical moment, playful, short, and beneficial for all students. COCO is not just another game, but a true partner for pacing the school day.
COCO PENSE: stimulating executive functions without overloading
COCO PENSE offers a collection of short cognitive games (a few minutes are enough) designed to stimulate different functions essential to learning: working memory, logic, mental flexibility, visual attention...
- The playful format: The game-based approach de-dramatizes cognitive effort. The student does not feel faced with an additional school exercise, but rather a fun challenge. This fosters engagement and motivation, even among struggling students.
- Brevity: Each activity is designed to be quick. The goal is not to occupy students for a long time, but to offer them a "shot" of cognitive stimulation that will restart the pump of concentration.
- Variety: By alternating types of games, we stimulate the brain in different ways, which maintains its plasticity and avoids boredom.
COCO BOUGE: reactivating the body to awaken the mind
COCO BOUGE is the essential physical complement. It consists of short guided video sequences, doable directly in class, next to their table, without equipment.
- Simple and accessible movements: We offer yoga exercises, stretches, coordination movements... that are within the reach of all children, regardless of their physical ease.
- Channeling energy: For students who have a great need to move, these breaks are an essential safety valve. They allow them to expend their excess energy in a structured and positive way, making them more available for calm activities afterward.
- Returning to calm and body awareness: Some sequences are specifically focused on breathing and relaxation. They are ideal for lowering stress levels before an assessment or calming the class after a moment of excitement.
Practical guide: integrating COCO into key moments of the day
The effectiveness of COCO lies in its smooth and regular integration into your schedule. It is not a tool to be used only when the situation is critical, but a companion to pace transitions and prevent fatigue. Here are some concrete examples of use.
The morning ritual: for a gentle start
After welcoming the students, while they settle in, a 5-minute session of COCO BOUGE can work wonders. A short sequence of stretches or gentle yoga helps wake up the bodies, leave the morning worries at the door, and focus the attention of the whole group on a common goal. This creates a positive classroom energy and prepares minds for the first lesson of the day.
The delicate transition after recess
Returning from the playground is often a noisy and agitated moment. It is difficult to regain the calm and concentration needed. Instead of fighting against this energy, let’s use it. Once the students are in their places, starting a quick game of COCO PENSE can serve as a "decompression chamber." The challenge immediately captures their attention and focuses it on a specific task, much more effectively than a reminder to behave. In just a few minutes, the noise level decreases and minds are ready to work again.
Before a demanding task or assessment
Just before diving into a complex math lesson or distributing an assessment, stress can rise. A short session of COCO BOUGE focused on deep breathing can help students refocus and calm their anxieties. Alternatively, a very quick game of COCO PENSE can serve as a cognitive warm-up, much like an athlete warms up before a competition, to put the brain in the best possible conditions.
To re-energize the afternoon slump
The early afternoon, after lunch, is notoriously a time of decreased alertness. Digestion mobilizes energy and drowsiness sets in. This is the ideal time for a dynamic break. A slightly more rhythmic session of COCO BOUGE will boost blood circulation and combat drowsiness. It is a much healthier and more effective alternative than simply raising your voice to try to maintain attention.
Beyond the break: targeted support for students with specific needs
If structured breaks are beneficial for all students, they are absolutely crucial for those with learning disorders, such as "DYS" disorders (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, etc.). For these children, the effort of concentration and information processing is multiplied. Their cognitive battery drains at a lightning speed.
DYS disorders and the ongoing challenge of attention
A dyslexic student, for example, must exert considerable effort just to decipher words, leaving little resources available to understand the meaning of the text. A dyspraxic student struggles to automate the act of writing, focusing all their attention on forming letters at the expense of content. For them, the school day is a succession of obstacles that generate immense fatigue. Breaks are not a comfort, but a sine qua non condition to continue learning. COCO, with its short, playful, and non-stigmatizing format, becomes a valuable ally to help them recharge without feeling left out.
Training to better support: our course on DYS disorders
Aware that tools alone are not enough, we have developed a specific training for you, primary school teachers: "Identifying and Supporting DYS Disorders in Primary School". Our goal is not to make you speech therapists or diagnosticians. Our aim is to give you the keys to understanding and practical strategies to:
- Identify warning signals: Learn to spot specific difficulties that may suggest a DYS disorder, so that you can guide the family to competent professionals.
- Understand the mechanisms: Put words to what the student is experiencing. Understand why a task simple for others is a mountain for them. This understanding is the basis for any kind and effective pedagogical adaptation.
- Implement concrete adjustments: We offer you dozens of simple strategies to apply in class to lighten the cognitive load of these students: adapting materials, using color codes, breaking down instructions, valuing their strengths...
This training is the indispensable complement to the COCO tool. It allows you to understand in depth why a student needs these cognitive breaks more than others and how to adapt your entire pedagogy to create a truly inclusive classroom environment, where every child, regardless of their difficulties, can find their place and progress.
In conclusion, our vision at Dynseo is holistic. We believe that academic performance is inseparable from student well-being. Pacing the school day with smart breaks like those offered by COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE is investing in the most fundamental resource: your students' attention and concentration capacity. By combining this with a better understanding of the specific needs of certain children through our training on DYS disorders, you equip yourself with a comprehensive and humane approach. Together, we can work towards a school where every mind has time to breathe, recharge, and thrive.
The article "School Rhythm and Cognitive Breaks: Integrating COCO into the School Day" explores the importance of integrating cognitive breaks into the school rhythm to improve students' learning. A related article that may interest readers is What are the solutions for aphasia after a stroke?. This article discusses possible solutions for treating aphasia, a communication disorder often caused by a stroke, and highlights the importance of cognitive interventions to improve the quality of life of affected individuals. Both articles emphasize the positive impact of cognitive strategies on well-being and mental capabilities, whether in an educational or therapeutic context.
